I was driving to the beat of an old Rolling Stones song when I suddenly realized that the other cars around me weren't tuned into the same radio station. I know this because, in my enthusiasm, I briefly forgot I was driving and nearly hit the Mercedes in front of me.

I started to pay attention when I heard the terrible screech the guy's brakes made as he stopped short.

Nobody was hurt.

Still, the other driver drove home the chaos I had almost wrought by sticking his hand out the car window with his middle finger waving. Sure, I was in the wrong, but I still felt the other driver and his very graphic gesture made the whole scene that much worse.

Riding away with remorse, I thought about this and other consequences of my sloppy driving. Although only a simple hand gesture cemented my shame, it was enough to make me pay attention for the rest of the ride across town.

This unfortunate event occurred in Los Angeles, but it could just as easily have happened in London, New York, Sydney, or Paris.

An old favorite for those who like to silently take out their aggressions, this gesture has been around for thousands of years. Ancient Romans even referred to the hand's third digit as the imprudent finger, still apt today when used in a certain way.

That said, following are some other ways to get your angry point across in various nations without uttering a single word.

*  Sticking your thumb up in the air is generally a signal that you are in solidarity with the person with whom you are communicating. Not so in Australia, where this gesture is a way to convey complete rudeness.

*  Fold your arms and take a firm stance in Finland and you'll let those around you know that you are feeling arrogant. Do the same thing in Fiji and you will be projecting total disrespect.

*  To come off as vulgar in Nigeria, push the palm of your hand forward with your fingers spread.

*  Slap your fists together in an angry stance and you'll clearly let others in Italy and Chile known that you haven't any regard for them in the least.

*  Slap a crooked elbow in someone's face by holding it at the forearm with your other hand in most Mediterranean countries and you won't need to say a single word to show your discontent or disregard. However, do this in the United Kingdom and you might attract a different kind of attention. To be sure, in this part of Europe the same gesture connotes visual approval much like the whistle a construction worker does when an attractive girl passes by.

*  If you are in the sight line of a person snapping her fingers with both hands in either France or Belgium, you should consider this the opposite of a compliment.

* When Americans cross their fingers, it is generally to offer good luck. However, in Paraguay, crossing your fingers is the ideal way to show offense.